By Helping People, Recent KIPP Cooper Norcross High School Graduate Finds Her Professional Purpose

Recent KIPP Cooper Norcross High School graduate Aniyah Byers said she enjoys helping people and wants to pursue a career that lets her do that, so it is quite possible that quote will apply to her someday.

She told TAPinto Camden her desire to help people likely emerged as she volunteered with Joseph’s House of Camden, whose website indicates it helps homeless people, and Raise the Bar, whose website indicates it helps those with learning disabilities and their families. Byers noted that her volunteer work with the latter organization also helps her out at home, as two of her younger siblings were diagnosed with autism.

According to Byers, those experiences – and her fandom for crime shows and legal dramas – also helped her figure out that she wants to become a lawyer specializing in either criminal or family law.

To that end, she said she will attend Villanova University in the fall and major in political science with an emphasis on pre-law. Citing her 3.8 grade point average, she said she does not anticipate problems adjusting to the academic rigors of college and has already completed a few college-level courses.

“I took three dual enrollment courses my senior year,” Byers explained. “I had two in English and one in personal finance. One of the English courses was through Arizona State University, the other one was through Brown University and the one for personal finance was through (the University of Pennsylvania).”

She said she also served on the student council, was a member of the National Honor Society, helped manage her school’s football and basketball teams and helped run those teams’ concession stands during their respective seasons.

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